Forage quality of native pastures in a Mediterranean area

Three field sites in the Hyblean region of Sicily were studied for their forage quality and botanical composition. A total of 70 plant species were analyzed. Another 36 were rare and of insufficient quantity for analysis. Forty-three bulk samples combining all existing species were also prepared and analyzed. The chemical analyses included were dry matter, ash, neutral-detergent fiber (NDF), acid-detergent fiber (ADF), lignin, total nitrogen, nonprotein nitrogen (NPN), soluble nitrogen and degradable protein. Quality varied over the growing season declining with forage maturity. The nutritional quality was high overall. Nongrass nonlegume species dominated. The most abundant species of high quality was a Compositae, Calendula arvensis, which represented approximately 22.8% of the available forage.